The Ministry of Women and Child Affairs has urged the public to remain vigilant amid the circulation of fraudulent messages on WhatsApp, Facebook, and other social media platforms, falsely claiming to offer assistance to individuals affected by Cyclone Ditwah.
According to the Ministry, several short messages are being shared widely, requesting personal information from disaster-affected families under the guise of providing relief support.
The Ministry clarified that all official information gathering for post-disaster relief is carried out exclusively through District and Divisional Secretariats, with the assistance of field officers attached to the Ministry and Grama Niladhari officers, as part of the government’s formal disaster-response mechanism.
The public has been advised not to respond to unauthorized messages or share personal details with individuals or groups operating outside the official system.
Amid the country’s ongoing challenges, the Ministry further stated that strict legal action will be taken against those involved in scams and deceptive practices, to ensure affected communities are not exploited or re-victimized during this critical time.
